Kempo history dates back many thousands of years. Kempo history has its roots in Asia - China, Japan and Okinawa. But Kempo's history as far as North America is concerned hit a major turning point in Hawaii in the early 20th century.

The preponderance of evidence suggests that the first systematized methods of fighting came into existence in India as early as 2,000 B.C. It is also possible that links existed between these ancient Indian forms and the system known as Pankration which was practiced by the ancient Greeks. Historians have documented the existence of ancient trade routes between Greece and India. As a result of this contact, each culture had the power to influence the other. This influence may well have included the transfer of some martial arts methods.